Securely providing secret data from a sender to a receiver

Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for securely providing a secret data from a sender to one or more receivers. The receiver uses a sequence of functions originating from a hierarchy of functions to migrate the secret data from an input transform space to an output transform space using a mathematical transformation under control of one or more seeds. The seeds are provided to the receiver by the sender. The sender conditionally allows the receiver to obtain the secret data by controlling the seeds.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sender for providing secret data to a plurality receivers, wherein each receiver is arranged to use a respective sequence of functions to migrate the secret data from an initial input transform space into a respective final output transform space, wherein for each receiver in the plurality of receivers, the respective final output transform space is different to the respective final output transform space of each other receiver in the plurality of receivers, wherein the sender comprises a processor, wherein the processor is arranged to:
 provide the secret data in the initial input transform space to the plurality of receivers; and 
 for each receiver of the plurality of receivers, provide a respective sequence of seeds to said receiver, wherein each seed of the respective sequence of seeds is for seeding a corresponding function of the respective sequence of functions, wherein said seeded function is arranged to migrate the secret data from a respective input transform space to a respective output transform space, wherein said respective sequence of seeds is chosen so as to enable said receiver to use the respective sequence of functions under control of the respective sequence of seeds to migrate the secret data from the initial input transform space into the respective final output transform space. 
 
     
     
       2. The sender according to  claim 1 , wherein each function in the sequence of functions is controlled by a unique seed. 
     
     
       3. The sender according to  claim 2 , wherein the sequence of functions is either:
 (a) unique to the receiver; or 
 (b) the same for each receiver in the plurality of receivers. 
 
     
     
       4. The sender according to  claim 1 , wherein each receiver of the plurality of receivers is configured to obtain the secret data by migrating the secret data from the respective final output transform space to a clear text transform space under control of a respective seed specific to said receiver. 
     
     
       5. The sender according to  claim 1 , wherein each function is protected by code obfuscation. 
     
     
       6. The sender according to  claim 1 , wherein the sender is configured to transmit a new function to one or more receivers of the plurality of receivers and wherein the receiver is configured to replace one or more of the functions in the respective sequence of functions with the new function. 
     
     
       7. A system for securely providing a secret data to a plurality of receivers, the system comprising:
 the sender according to  claim 1 , and 
 the plurality of receivers, wherein each receiver is arranged to use a respective sequence of functions to migrate the secret data from an initial input transform space into a respective final output transform space, wherein for each receiver in the plurality of receivers, the respective final output transform space is different to the respective final output transform space of each other receiver in the plurality of receivers. 
 
     
     
       8. A receiver comprising a processor, the processor arranged to:
 receive secret data in an initial input transform space, wherein said secret data in said initial input transform space is sent from a sender to a plurality of receivers; 
 receive a respective sequence of seeds, wherein each seed of the respective sequence of seeds is for seeding a corresponding function of a respective sequence of functions, wherein said seeded function is arranged to migrate the secret data from a respective input transform space to a respective output transform space; 
 migrate the secret data from said initial input transform space into a respective final output transform space using the seeded sequence of functions, wherein the respective final output transform space is different to a respective final output transform space of each other receiver of the plurality of receivers. 
 
     
     
       9. A method for providing secret data from a sender to a plurality receivers, wherein each receiver is arranged to use a respective sequence of functions to migrate the secret data from an initial input transform space into a respective final output transform space, wherein for each receiver in the plurality of receivers, the respective final output transform space is different to the respective final output transform space of each other receiver in the plurality of receivers, wherein the sender comprises a processor, wherein the method comprises the processor performing the steps of:
 providing the secret data in the initial input transform space to the plurality of receivers; and 
 for each receiver of the plurality of receivers, providing a respective sequence of seeds to said receiver, wherein each seed of the respective sequence of seeds is for seeding a corresponding function of the respective sequence of functions, wherein said seeded function is arranged to migrate the secret data from a respective input transform space to a respective output transform space, wherein said respective sequence of seeds is chosen so as to enable said receiver to use the respective sequence of functions under control of the respective sequence of seeds to migrate the secret data from the initial input transform space into the respective final output transform space. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein each function in the sequence of functions is controlled by a unique seed. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the sequence of functions is either:
 (a) unique to the receiver; or 
 (b) the same for each receiver in the plurality of receivers. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the step of, for a receiver in the plurality of receivers, said receiver obtaining the secret data by migrating the secret data from the respective final output transform space to a clear text transform space under control of a respective seed specific to said receiver. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein each function is protected by code obfuscation. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of transmitting a new function to one or more receivers of the plurality of receivers and for each receiver of the one or more receivers, replacing one or more of the functions in the respective sequence of functions with the new function. 
     
     
       15. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to carry out a method for providing secret data to a plurality receivers, wherein each receiver is arranged to use a respective sequence of functions to migrate the secret data from an initial input transform space into a respective final output transform space, wherein for each receiver in the plurality of receivers, the respective final output transform space is different to the respective final output transform space of each other receiver in the plurality of receivers, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 providing the secret data in the initial input transform space to the plurality of receivers; and 
 for each receiver of the plurality of receivers, providing a respective sequence of seeds to said receiver, wherein each seed of the respective sequence of seeds is for seeding a corresponding function of the respective sequence of functions, wherein said seeded function is arranged to migrate the secret data from a respective input transform space to a respective output transform space, wherein said respective sequence of seeds is chosen so as to enable said receiver to use the respective sequence of functions under control of the respective sequence of seeds to migrate the secret data from the initial input transform space into the respective final output transform space.